Silverbeet and other vegetables

Picked some more silverbeet today. Cost for seedlings, $3. Labour input: minimal, and gratifying.

Silverbeet is hard to kill, easy to grow, free of most pests and diseases, and can be picked without killing the plant. I know vegetable gardening isn’t for everyone, and you need some basic kit which costs a bit, but certainly if you’re getting into it silverbeet must qualify as one of the best possible plants to grow.

As long as you like silverbeet. Which I do. Just don’t boil the crap out of it as we did in the 70s. Wash it and shred it, and sweat it in olive oil with a little garlic and salt and pepper until it’s well wilted but still green. Nom.

My Dad is a terrific fruit and vegetable gardener. He always reckons that he won’t grow things that he can buy really cheaply, unless the home-grown version is obviously superior. So Dad doesn’t do onions, but he does do tomatoes. That makes sense to me. There’s an economics of home vegetable gardening, and there’s no sense in investing a lot of effort and resources unless we know it’s worth it.

Soon I’m going to plant beans. Fresh beans are always expensive, the plants fix nitrogen in the soil for your next crop, and if you save a few pods the seeds are free. What a winner. I’d plan even more except that we’re probably moving soon…

Nominations for the frugal vege patch, anyone?

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Vegetable gardening report

I put some silverbeet in last weekend, and it’s looking good already. I think I might get away with some brassicas of one kind or another, and some carrots too, if they germinate before it gets too cold. I think it’s too windy for broad beans or anything tall ever to succeed here, but fresh peas from a dwarf variety have proved a winner.

There are plenty of fresh herbs, and I’m bringing in my pepper in a container to see whether it will keep producing indoors.

There are many reasons to grow your own vegetables: they generally taste better, they’re probably more nutritious, and you know all about their history. The thing about growing vegetables to save money though is that it is very hard to grow certain things cheaper than you can buy them. For example, no one in their right minds would grow onions in Wellington. They’re gross feeders, a year’s supply would tie up a big area, and they can be had for less than $2 kg year round. Likewise, fresh spuds are the best ones, but a year’s supply takes more land, more feeding and more labour than I care to put in. I just keep a bucket or two on the go instead.

On the other hand, I got 12 silverbeet seedlings for $3, so as long as I get more than one head’s worth off them, I’m ahead. I already have a compost heap and the labour of digging has already been expended. A small bag of blood and bone will last a long time too.

How’s your garden coming on?